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Extreme workouts, such as this boot-camp session at Stude Park, aren't essential for achieving fitness. The You Docs say walking on a regular basis can provide the necessary activity.

Could cutting yourself a little slack improve your diet, help you stick with a workout routine and let you meet your health goals, from lowering blood sugar, LDL (lousy) cholesterol or blood pressure, to living with chronic pain? Positively.

Some examples: Self-kindness makes you 23 percent more likely to take your high blood pressure medications as directed, helps you improve blood sugar numbers if you have diabetes and makes it 64 percent easier to stick with a low-sodium diet.

What is self-kindness? Well, it isn't about repeating goofy affirmations like that "Saturday Night Live" character Stuart Smalley, whose mantra was "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!" It's about reminding yourself that everybody messes up, not kicking yourself when you're down, looking at the big picture and identifying areas where you're doing well.

Turning off your harsh inner critic and turning on a bit of self-kindness boosts your confidence in your ability to make healthy changes in your everyday habits.

Here's how:

1. It makes weight control easier: When diet slip-ups lead to overeating, self-kindness may work better than willpower to help you make a U-turn. Women who indulged by munching doughnuts and then were asked to taste-test candies ate fewer of those sweets when they were told: "I hope you won't be too hard on yourself. Everyone eats this stuff."

2. It lets you better cope with chronic pain: Another report has shown that people with chronic pain who judged themselves less harshly when pain interfered with activities felt less depressed, less stressed and less isolated than those who adopted a tough-it-out attitude. We're not saying they felt less pain, but they were more likely to have a positive state of mind and found more ways to work around the pain.

3. It provides you with an extra stop-smoking tool: In the first three weeks of a stop-tobacco program, smokers who learned to give themselves positive, gentle pep talks when they felt the urge to light up found it easier to say no to cigarettes much sooner than quitters who didn't give themselves positive reinforcement.

4. It produces a stronger motivation to exercise: People who practice self-kindness gravitate to workouts that bring deep-down enjoyment - often something like walking with a friend, biking with a club or dancing around the house to your favorite tunes.

It seems that an I-can-do-it attitude translates to less shame, blame and anger about chronic health issues, and more respect for what you have done. So pick a problem that's bothering you, then write a short letter to yourself from the point of view of a friend who cares about you. Doing this for just a few minutes a day for one week can reduce anxiety and depression for two to six months.

Q: Do I really need to do extreme workouts to get in good shape? Infomercials make it seem that only gut-busting, joint-slamming calisthenics do the job.

A: Ever since Jack LaLanne first broadcast his fitness show and Jane Fonda videos urged us to "feel the burn," fitness crazes have swept across America like a Zamboni over an ice rink, promising to shine up your surface by grinding you down. The names of today's popular routines say it all: Insanity; Hip Hop Abs Extreme; TurboFire.

We, on the other hand, advocate a much easier approach to physical activity: walking (and if you are ready after a month of daily walking and cardio, moderate weightlifting). Walking can be easygoing or intense; it's something everyone knows how to do, and all you need is a good pair of walking shoes.

How does our often-recommended 10,000 steps a day stack up to those extreme workouts in terms of improved health and a longer life? We think it comes out light years ahead, and here's why:

The psychological benefits of a daily walking routine: Drop-out rates in intense programs are extremely high, building discouragement. Establishing and sticking to a daily walking routine fuels self-esteem.

The aches-and-pains-conquering benefits: Stretching out your stride, keeping your posture erect (shoulders back and down) and your upper-body motion fluid (let those arms swing!) loosens up stiff joints, muscles and tendons. Those intense workouts can lead to injury, joint and muscle pain.

The muscle-building benefits: Walking builds, tones and shapes muscles in your legs and butt. It also tightens the torso, or core, and strengthens the arms.

The weight-loss benefits: Walking is a longer-duration, lower-intensity exercise that can burn more fat than a short, intense workout.

The cardiovascular benefits: You'll reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. And for you folks who already have high blood pressure or heart disease, it's a safe way to improve your cardiac system.

The diabetes-fighting benefits: Walking can stabilize blood sugar levels and make you less insulin resistant, without risking a blood sugar plunge that can accompany intense exercise.

And that still leaves the brain-enhancing, head-turning, sexual-health-improving, self-confidence-boosting and money-saving benefits! Walk on!